Senator Andrew Bartlett, the Democrats’ social security spokesperson,
said the findings of massive errors in Special Benefits payments
were further evidence of the need to simplify the social security system.

Senator Bartlett said, “If Government assessors
are making mistakes in nearly half the cases for Special Benefit, what
chance do welfare recipients have of correctly jumping through

Centrelink’s administrative hoops?”

An audit report has found that more than 40 per cent
of new claims for the social security special benefit were incorrectly
assessed, costing the government $1.4 million.

“This is another example of Government not meeting
its side of mutual obligation.

“If welfare recipients make a mistake, the Government
calls it fraud. The Government makes a mistake, and it’s just a mistake
and it still gets the money back.

“I hope Minister Newman will not try to include
these figures as part of proof of the incidence of welfare fraud.”